Safe Cars

It's important to remember that not all cars are created equal. While many safety features like airbags come standard in all new vehicles, there are also newer technologies that don't.

So when you're in the market for a new or used car, check the safety rating and the range of safety technologies available before you buy. To find out the ratings of the cars you're interested in (and remember that driving a car with a 5-star safety rating can significantly reduce the risk of death and serious injury) head over to:

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – Senses when a vehicle is steering out of control. It applies individual brakes to help maintain stability and steer the vehicle in the direction intended.

Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) – Cars fitted with AEB are 38% less likely to collide with the vehicle in front of them, compared to similar cars that do not have AEB.

Lane Departure Warning – Warns the driver that the car is getting close to crossing over the line marking and leaving their lane of travel.

Seatbelt Pre-tensioners – Pulls seatbelts tight in the moments before impact, protecting occupants in a collision.

Airbags – When used in combination with properly worn seatbelts, frontal airbags provide the best protection in a frontal crash.

Side Curtain Airbags – In the event of a side-impact collision, side curtain airbags drop like a curtain from the railing above the door. They cushion the head against the full impact of another vehicle or object. Driver fatalities have reduced by 37% in side impact crashes.

Crumple Zones – The part of the vehicle, especially the very front and rear, designed to crumple easily in a crash and absorb the main force of an impact in order to protect that car’s occupants.

Speed Assistance Systems – Helps drivers keep within the speed limits. With an electronic map of the road network matched with speed limits, an Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) function provides drivers with a warningto slow down if they exceed the speed limit.

Strong Occupant Compartment – The cabin of a vehicle should keep its shape in a crash to protect the driver and passengers’ space.